Digital Commons Network^™

Eutrophication And Harmful Algal Blooms: A Scientific Consensus, J. Heisler, P. M. Glibert, J. M. Burkholder, D. M. Anderson, W. Cochlan, W. C. Dennison, Q. Dortch, C. J. Gobler, C. A. Heil, E. Humphries, A. Lewitus, R. Magnien, H. G. Marshall, K. Sellner, D. A. Stockwell, D. K. Stoecker, M. Suddleson

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

In January 2003, the US Environmental Protection Agency sponsored a ‘‘roundtable discussion’’ to develop a consensus on the relationship between eutrophication and harmful algal blooms (HABs), specifically targeting those relationships for which management actions may be appropriate. Academic, federal, and state agency representatives were in attendance. The following seven statements were unanimously adopted by attendees based on review and analysis of current as well as pertinent previous data:

(1) Degraded water quality from increased nutrient pollution promotes the development and persistence of many HABs and is one of the reasons for their expansion in the U.S. and other nations;

(2) …

Harbor Seal Population Decline In The Aleutian Archipelago, Robert Small, Peter Boveng, G. Vernon Byrd, David Withrow

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Populations of Steller sea lions, northern fur seals, and northern sea otters declined substantially during recent decades in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands region, yet the population status of harbor seals has not been assessed adequately. We determined that counts obtained during skiff-based surveys conducted in 1977–1982 represent the earliest estimate of harbor seal abundance throughout the Aleutian Islands. By comparing counts from 106 islands surveyed in 1977–1982 (8,601 seals) with counts from the same islands during a 1999 aerial survey (2,859 seals), we observed a 67% decline over the ∼20-year period. Regionally, the largest decline of 86% was …

Association Between Alcohol Consumption And Both Osteoporotic Fracture And Bone Density, Karina M. Berg, Hillary V. Kunins, Jeffrey L. Jackson, Shadi Nahvi, Amina Chaudhry, Kenneth A. Harris Jr., Rubina Malik, Julia H. Arnsten

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

OBJECTIVE: Alcoholism is a risk factor for osteoporotic fractures and low bone density, but the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on bone are unknown. We performed a systematic review and metaanalysis to assess the associations between alcohol consumption and osteoporotic fractures, bone density and bone density loss over time, bone response to estrogen replacement, and bone remodeling.
METHODS: MEDLINE, Current Contents, PsychINFO, and Cochrane Libraries were searched for studies published before May 14, 2007. We assessed quality using the internal validity criteria of the US Preventive Services Task Force.
RESULTS: We pooled effect sizes for 2 specific outcomes (hip fracture …

Blood Parasites In Owls With Conservation Implications For The Spotted Owl (Strix Occidentalis), Heather D. Ishak, John P. Dumbacher, Nancy L. Anderson, John J. Keane, Gediminas Valkiūnas, Susan M. Haig, Lisa A. Tell, Ravinder N. M. Sehgal

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The three subspecies of Spotted Owl (Northern, Strix occidentalis caurina; California, S. o. occidentalis; and Mexican, S. o. lucida) are all threatened by habitat loss and range expansion of the Barred Owl (S. varia). An unaddressed threat is whether Barred Owls could be a source of novel strains of disease such as avian malaria (Plasmodium spp.) or other blood parasites potentially harmful for Spotted Owls. Although Barred Owls commonly harbor Plasmodium infections, these parasites have not been documented in the Spotted Owl. We screened 111 Spotted Owls, 44 Barred Owls, and 387 owls …

Obituary: Terry Lamon Yates, 1950-2007., Robert J. Baker, David J. Schmidly, Joseph A. Cook, Jorge Salazar-Bravo, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

On December 11, 2007, the science of mammalogy lost one of its most valued and influential leaders. Terry Lamon Yates succumbed to complications of treatments for an aggressive form of brain cancer after a brief but courageous fight. He was born on March 17, 1950, in Mayfield, Kentucky, the older son of Ellen Wanda Byrd and William Hanley Yates. Terry’s only sibling was a brother, Johnny. He is survived by his wife Nancy Fennell Yates, his two sons, Brian Christopher and Michael Ryan, and daughter-in-law Laura Manchéno Macia.

Estimation Of The Lysine Requirements For High-Lean Growth Pigs, Phillip S. Miller, Roman Moreno, Thomas E. Burkey, Rodger K. Johnson

Nebraska Swine Reports

An experiment was conducted to determine the lysine regime required to maximize growth performance for high-lean-growth potential barrows and gilts beginning at 45 lb and concluding at approximately 260 lb. There were four growing-finishing phases and four lys treatments within phase (Grower-1, 44 lb to 79 lb; Grower-2 79 lb to 132 lb; Finisher-1, 132 lb to 189 lb; and Finisher-2, 1891b to 260 lb). Dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal based supplemented with 0.15% crystalline lysine. The formulation of 2 dietary treatments was aimed to provide lysine below the requirement, while the other 2 dietary treatments provided lys above the …

Dietary Fiber In Sow Gestation Diets - An Updated Review, Duane Reese, Allen Prosch, Daryl A. Travnicek, Kent M. Eskridge

Nebraska Swine Reports

Twenty-four published reports dating from 1975 to 2007 were examined to determine the overall effects of feeding gestation sows additional fiber. Sow and litter traits among trials were weighted by the number of litters for each treatment within each trial. Overall, sows can successfully consume high-fiber diets during gestation with few deleterious effects. Positive effects from feeding high-fiber diets were evident in litter size (0.2 to 0.6 pigs/litter) and sow lactation feed intake (0.5 to 0.8 lb/day), but they are not largely evident until the second reproductive cycle following exposure to the diet. It's possible that to ensure sow and …

Effects Of Nutrition During Gilt Development And Genetic Line On Farrowing Rates Through Parity 3, Causes Of Culling, Sow Weights And Backfats Through Parity 4, And Factors Affecting Farrowing Rates, Rodger K. Johnson, Phillip S. Miller, Matthew W. Anderson, Jeffrey M. Perkins, Kelsey A. Rhynalds, Trevor J. Glidden, Donald R. Mcclure, Thomas E. Mcgargill, Darryl J. Barnhill, Roman Moreno

Nebraska Swine Reports

Gilts of two genetic lines were developed with either ad libitum access to feed or energy restriction (75% of ad libitum) to determine effects on subsequent sow performance and longevity. Gilts can be developed with regimens in which energy is restricted during the growing period but the proportion that express pubertal estrus may be reduced in leaner, faster growing lines. Effects on subsequent farrowing rates are small. Sow weight and buckfat at farrowing and weaning of Parity 1 litters affect the likelihood of producing a Parity 2 litter, but these effects are dependent on lean growth rate of the line …

2008 Nebraska Swine Report

Nebraska Swine Reports

Table of Contents

Pork Central's Al Prosch Retires

Nutrition
The Effect of Corn Distillers Dried Grain with Solubles (DDGS) on Growth Performance of Growing-Finishing Pigs ● The Effect of Corn Distillers Dried Grain with Solubles (DDGS) on Carcass Characteristics and Pork Quality ● Effects of Increasing Concentrations of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) on Growth Performance of Weanling Pigs ● Dietary Fiber in Sow Gestation Diets—An Updated Review ● Effects of Nutrition During Gilt Development on Lifetime Productivity of Sows of Two Profile Maternal Lines: Summary Growth Characteristics and Sow Productivity—2008 ● Effects of Nutrition During Gilt Development and …

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln Agricultural Research Division 122nd Annual Report July 1, 2007 To June 30, 2008, Institute Of Agriculture And Natural Resources

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

Our Mission ..... 4

Foreword..... 5

Faculty Awards and Recognitions.... 6

Graduate Student Awards and Recognitions...10

Undergraduate Honors Student Research Program...14

Variety and Germplasm Releases....15

Patents.....17

Administration..... 18

Administrative Personnel.... 18

Organizational Chart....19

Administrative Units....20

IANR Research Facilities.... 21

Faculty..... 22

Agricultural/Natural Resources Units... 23

Education and Human Sciences Departments...33

Off-Campus Research Centers....34

Interdisciplinary Activities....35

Visiting Scientists/Research Associates....36

Research Projects..... 43

Agricultural/Natural Resources Units... 43

Education and Human Sciences Departments...48

Off-Campus Research Centers....49

Interdisciplinary Activities ....50

Publications.....51

Agricultural/Natural Resources Units... 57

Education and Human Sciences Departments...77

Off-Campus Research Centers....80

Research Expenditures....82

Evaluation Of Dry Distillers Grains Plus Solubles Inclusion On Performance And Economics Of Finishing Beef Steers, C. D. Buckner, T. L. Mader, G. E. Erickson, S. L. Colgan, D. R. Mark, V. R. Bremer, K. K. Karges, M. L. Gibson

Panhandle Research and Extension Center

A 167-d feedlot study was conducted to evaluate feeding increasing levels of dry distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) to finishing cattle and the impact on performance and profitability. Crossbred steer calves (n = 240, BW = 306 ± 24.5 kg) were used in 30 pens with dietary treatments of 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40% DDGS dietary inclusion (DM basis). Quadratic relationships (P < 0.05) were observed for final BW and ADG as dietary DDGS increased, with the greatest ADG observed at 20% inclusion. The DMI was not affected (P > 0.15) by DDGS level, but G:F tended to be quadratic (P = 0.10) as 20% DM inclusion had the greatest value, although steers fed all levels of DDGS had numerically greater G:F compared with steers fed no …

Endeavors 2007-08

Endeavors: Highlights of University of Nebraska-Lincoln Agricultural Research Division Research

CONTENTS:

New approach delays soybean irrigation, maintains yields
New group focuses on bioenergy crops in the Midwest
Sandhills dunes more stable than once thought
Take ‘may contain food allergen’ labels seriously
Advanced infrared camera expands hydrology research
UNL-based Drought Mitigation Center has new leadership
Carbohydrates in milk can help block bacteria
Tending human tendons using ultrasound
Research studies effect of one-time tillage on no-till
IANR, cattle feeders partners in cattle research
Medical, animal researchers to collaborate
Rural Nebraskans not the retiring type, poll shows
IANR returns 15 to 1 benefit for each tax dollar
New components of plant immunity being …

Conformational Changes And Flexibility In T-Cell Receptor Recognition Of Peptide–Mhc Complexes, Kathryn M. Armstrong, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian M. Baker

Food for Health: Publications

A necessary feature of the immune system, TCR (T-cell receptor) cross-reactivity has been implicated in numerous autoimmune pathologies and is an underlying cause of transplant rejection. Early studies of the interactions of αβ TCRs (T-cell receptors) with their peptide–MHC ligands suggested that conformational plasticity in the TCR CDR (complementarity determining region) loops is a dominant contributor to T-cell cross-reactivity. Since these initial studies, the database of TCRs whose structures have been solved both bound and free is now large enough to permit general conclusions to be drawn about the extent of TCR plasticity and the types and locations of motion …

Catfish Consumption As A Contributor To Elevated Pcb Levels In A Non-Hispanic Black Subpopulation, Max Weintraub, Linda S. Birnbaum

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The human body burden of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) sharply declined after production was banned in the US in 1979. For the 10% of the US population that remains most exposed to PCBs, fish consumption is the primary source. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data indicates that the highest remaining PCB levels exist in a non-Hispanic black subpopulation. Our review suggests that catfish consumption may be a significant PCB source for the one million non-Hispanic black anglers who fish for catfish. In comparison to non-Hispanic white anglers, non-Hispanic black anglers consume more catfish, are more likely to eat the …

Effects Of Gamma-Sterilization On The Physico-Chemical Properties Of Natural Sediments, T.L. Bank, Ravi K. Kukkadapu, A.S. Madden, M.A. Ginder-Vogel, M.E. Baldwin, P.M. Jardine

United States Department of Energy: Publications

Batch U(VI) sorption/reduction experiments were completed on sterilized and non-sterilized sediment samples to elucidate biological and geochemical reduction mechanisms. Results from X-ray absorption nearedge structure (XANES) spectroscopy revealed that γ-sterilized sediments were actually better sorbents of U(VI), despite the absence of any measurable biological activity. These results indicate that γ-irradiation induced significant physico-chemical changes in the sediment which is contrary to numerous other studies identifying γ-sterilization as an effective and minimally invasive technique. To identify the extent and method of alteration of the soil as a result of γ-sterilization, untreated soil samples, physically separated size fractions, …

Population Abundance And Growth Rate Of Western Gray Whales Eschrichtius Robustus, Amanda L. Bradford, David W. Weller, Paul R. Wade, Alexander M. Burdin, Robert L. Brownell Jr.

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The western population of gray whales Eschrichtius robustus is one of the most endangered whale populations in the world. Recent studies of this population off the northeastern coast of Sakhalin Island, Russia, have produced a photographic dataset that was utilized for the first mark-recapture assessment of western gray whale abundance. Given encounter histories of 129 individually identified whales spanning 25 monthly capture occasions from 1997 to 2003, a closed capture estimator was employed to estimate the number of individuals using the study area in each year. Temporary emigration probabilities were then applied to the closed capture estimates to enumerate the …

2007-2008 Annual Report

Lancaster County, Nebraska Extension: Reports

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The Need For Integration Of Drought Monitoring Tools For Proactive Food Security Management In Sub-Saharan Africa, Tsegaye Tadesse, Menghestab Haile, Gabriel Senay, Brian D. Wardlow, Cody L. Knutson

National Drought Mitigation Center: Faculty Publications

Reducing the impact of drought and famine remains a challenge in sub-Saharan Africa despite ongoing drought relief assistance in recent decades. This is because drought and famine are primarily addressed through a crisis management approach when a disaster occurs, rather than stressing preparedness and risk management. Moreover, drought planning and food security efforts have been hampered by a lack of integrated drought monitoring tools, inadequate early warning systems (EWS), and insufficient information flow within and between levels of government in many sub-Saharan countries. The integration of existing drought monitoring tools for sub-Saharan Africa is essential for improving food security systems …

Surveillance For Health Behaviors Of American Indians And Alaska Natives—Findings From The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2000–2006, C. Brooke Steele, Cheryll J. Cardinez, Lisa C. Richardson, Lillian Tom-Orme, Kate M. Shaw

United States Public Health Resources

BACKGROUND. The authors compared estimates for cancer risk factors, use of cancer screening tests, health status indicators, and access to care for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) and non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) in the US and for AI/ANs in 6 Indian Health Service regions.

METHODS. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data were aggregated from the years 2000 through 2006 and were used to calculate weighted prevalence estimates by gender for key variables except demographic variables.

RESULTS. Compared with NHWs, AI/ANs had lower prevalence estimates for income, educational attainment, insurance coverage, and access to personal healthcare providers. AI/ANs …

Your Choice For Change - Honoring The Gift Of Heart Health For American Indians

United States Natonal Institutes of Health: Materials

This easy-to-understand, culturally appropriate booklet for American Indians provides concise information about heart disease and its risk factors.

Alcohol Research: A Lifespan Perspective, National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism

United States Public Health Resources

Contents:
The Embryo and Fetus: Focus on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
Midlife Focus on Detrimental Effects of Drinking and on Treatment Options
Senior Adults and Alcohol: A National Health Issue

Alcohol use and the risk for alcohol-related problems change over the lifespan. College students and young adults, who often drink large quantities of alcohol at one time, are more likely to experience problems such as alcohol poisoning, drunk-driving crashes, and assaults; whereas, older individuals who drink even moderately while taking certain medications run the risk of harmful drug interactions. Additionally, patterns of alcohol use …

Populations Receiving Optimally Fluoridated Public Drinking Water— United States, 1992-2006

United States Public Health Resources

Water fluoridation has been identified by CDC as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. The decline in the prevalence and severity of dental caries (tooth decay) in the United States during the past 60 years has been attributed largely to the increased use of fluoride. Community water fluoridation is an equitable and cost-effective method for delivering fluoride to the community. A Healthy People 2010 objective is to increase to 75% the proportion of the U.S. population served by community water systems who receive optimally fluoridated water. To update and revise previous reports on fluoridation in …

Life History And Population Dynamics Of The Opportunistic Polychaete Capitella Sp. I In Relation To Sediment Organic Matter, Tina Ramskov, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

Capitella sp. I is a deposit-feeding polychaete that occurs in estuarine and marine environments and that shows boom-bust population dynamics in response to organic pollution. A lifecycle experiment was carried out to quantify the relative importance of individual life-history traits for driving the dynamics of Capitella sp. I populations in response to changes in sediment organic matter concentrations. Individual-level effects were estimated as changes in survival, reproductive characteristics, and growth. Effects at the population-level were assessed by integrating the measured life-history traits in a simple 2-stage demographic model that was used to estimate the population growth rate (λ). Low organic …

The "How" Of The Three Sisters: The Origins Of Agriculture In Mesoamerica And The Human Niche, Amanda J. Landon

Nebraska Anthropologist

The origins of agriculture· in Mesoamerica have long interested archaeologists and antiquarians alike. The approaches used to understand the origins of the three sisters, maize, beans and squash, have changed over time as our understanding of the ecological context and ethnographic influences have changed. In this paper, I examine the history of the study of the origins of agriculture and assess the current evolutionary and ecological approaches to the topic. In Mesoamerica, the three sisters and humans shared a co evolutionary relationship in which humans invited the plants into the human niche and the plants thrived. Over time, the plants …

Effect Of Wintering System And Nutrition Around Breeding On Gain And Reproduction In Heifers, Daniel M. Larson, Jeremy L. Martin, Richard N. Funston

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Replacement heifers were developed using corn stalks (Experiments 1 and 2), winter range (Experiment 1), or a dry lot (Experiment 2) with or without a high energy supplement around breeding. Corn stalk development reduced ADG and the percentage pubertal prior to breeding; however, neither first service conception nor pregnancy rates were affected. High energy supplemental nutrition around breeding tends to improve first service conception. Corn stalk development does not appear to negatively impact reproduction, although it resulted in lighter calf birth weight compared to winter range.

Nebraska Beef Cattle Report 2008

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Contents

Cow/Calf
Effect of Pre-breeding Weight and MGA Supplementation on Heifer Performance
Effect of Wintering System and Nutrition Around Breeding on Gain and Reproduction in Heifers
Pre- and Peri-pubertal Feeding of Melengesterol Acetate (MGA) Alters Testis Characteristics in Bulls
Effects of Summer Climatic Conditions on Body Temperature in Beef Cows
Supplementing Beef Cows Grazing Cornstalk Residue with a Distillers Based Cube
Comparison of Crude Protein and Digestibility of Diets of Grazing Cattle at Different Sandhills Range Sites
Determination of Diet Protein and Digestibility of Native Sandhills Upland Range
Evaluation of Storage Methods for Wet Distillers Grains Plus Solubles with Added …

Supplementing Beef Cows Grazing Cornstalk Residue With A Distillers Based Cube, Zachary Hall, Richard J. Rasby, Mark Dragastin

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A 4-year study is being conducted to determine the effect of excess undegrad¬able intake protein supplementation using a cube that is 2/3 dried distillers grains (DDG) to beef cows in late gesta¬tion on cow and calf performance and the performance of heifer calves whose dams were supplemented with protein. Feeding a supplement containing DDG did not influence calf birth and wean¬ing weights, cow body weight prior to calving, and calving interval. Cow body condition score and percentage of cows cyclic prior to breeding increased for supplemented cows.

Engineered Nanoscale Materials And Derivative Products: Regulatory Challenges, Linda-Jo Schierow

Congressional Research Service Reports

Scientists and engineers can now examine, design, and manipulate materials at the molecular level, termed “nanoscale,” between 1 and 100 billionths of a meter. The U.S. government has invested heavily to ensure that American industry remains a global leader in the field, because the products of nanotechnology are seen to have great economic potential and offer possible solutions to national problems ranging from energy efficiency to detection of agents of biological warfare. Optimism about nanotechnology is tempered, however, by concerns about the unknown potential of nanoscale materials to harm the environment and human health. Some have called for federal regulation …

Sampling Wet Distillers Grains Plus Solubles To Determine Nutrient Variability, Crystal D. Buckner, Sarah J. Vanness, Galen E. Erickson, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Joshua R. Benton

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Dry matter, protein, fat, phosphorus, and sulfur were measured on 100 wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) samples per ethanol plant (6 plants total) with 10 samples/day, 5 consecutive days, and 2 separate months (periods). Coefficients of variation were 1.5% to 4.5% for DM within plant. Fat in WDGS averaged 11.8% and ranged from 10.7% to 13.1% across plants, with ranges of 2 to 5 percentage units within plant. Coefficients of variation were 5% to 8% and as great as 36% within plant for sulfur. The variation in protein and phosphorus were minimal.

Impact Of Solar Ultraviolet-B On The Proteome In Soybean Lines Differing In Flavonoid Contents, Chenping Xu, Joe H. Sullivan, Wesley M. Garrett, Thomas J. Caperna, Savithiry Natarajan

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE) was used to systematically investigate the impact of solar ultraviolet- B (UV-B) radiation on the soybean leaf proteome. In order to investigate the protective role of flavonoids against UV-B, two isolines of the Clark cultivar (the standard line with moderate levels of flavonoids and the magenta line with reduced flavonoids) were grown in the field with or without natural levels of UV-B. The 12-day-old first trifoliates were harvested for proteomic analysis. More than 300 protein spots were reproducibly resolved and detected on each gel. Statistical analysis showed that 67 protein spots were significantly (P < 0.05) affected by solar UV-B. Many more spots were altered by UV-B in the magenta line than in the standard line. Another 12 protein spots were not altered by UV-B but showed significantly (P < 0.05) different accumulations between the two lines, and for most spots the line-specific differences were also observed under UV-B exclusion. Most of the differentially accumulated spots were identified by mass spectrometry. The proteins were quite diverse, and were involved in metabolism, energy, protein destination/storage, protein synthesis, disease/defense, transcription, and secondary metabolism. The results suggest that high levels of flavonoids lead to a reduction in UV-B sensitivity at the proteomic level.